It’s no surprise that in a city like Bogotá, we’ve built a diverse, vibrant Havas Village where “fun” is an objective and where colleagues are also genuinely friends. Brought together by an integrated operating model and shared vision, this team exchanges knowledge, enhances their creative output, enjoys craft beer, and literally kicks butt.

Take the tour with us below.

The Mag: What does being a Village mean to your teams?

Bogotá: The “better together” philosophy makes us feel like pioneers in the Colombian market, introducing a new integrated agency model never seen before. It’s a model that clients have been asking for and one that positions Havas as more innovative than previously perceived. More important, this philosophy has permeated our teams, allowing us to share talent and knowledge, as well as helping to promote diversity and bring people closer together.

The Mag: How do teams from across the Village collaborate?

Bogotá: The Havas Village has built a creative-strategic hub. You can see it every day when new teams are created for conceptualization and work. Media, creative, and digital teams share statuses, processes, and ideas so that individual agencies are no longer thinking on their own.

We also share several clients from various categories, including fast food, pharmaceutical, and home. Our most important Village client is RB (Reckitt Benckiser), and we’ve been able to strengthen that client relationship by taking a multidisciplinary approach.

The Mag: How has the collaborative nature of the Havas Village influenced your culture?

Bogotá: It has truly brought new life to our jobs by allowing us to develop an environment in which there’s not only collaboration but also fresh opportunities to learn and grow. Now, co-workers who previously didn’t work together are now sharing ideas and knowledge. As a result of this collaborative experience, we’ve been able to enhance the final output.

The Mag: What recent work is most talked about around the office?

Bogotá: It’s definitely “Independence” for Petys. Colombia celebrates its Independence Day on July 20, a national day of pride. So Havas decided to tap into this idea of independence to talk about owning an apartment, getting a divorce, or starting a company. That’s independence.

After analyzing digital data and recognizing a trend of this type of independence, we created three spots for social networks on behalf of the pet brand Petys, showcasing the freedom of being able to have the pet that you’ve always wanted thanks to newfound independence. It’s a beautiful campaign that had a huge impact on the Colombian digital ecosystem.

The Mag: What makes the Bogotá Village a great place to work? What culture initiatives have you implemented to bring the teams closer together?

Bogotá: Steadily, we’ve been developing what we call a fun place to work. We have all kinds of fun activities that integrate our teams, including our traditional Colombian game “Rana,” kickboxing classes, and watching our national soccer team “La Seleccion Colombia.” We’ve also created relaxing spaces and implemented flexible work schedules.

The Mag: Tell us about the office space. Where do people like to gather?

Bogotá: We have created new spaces for co-working, which facilitate collaboration and motivate innovation. In addition, we have a big terrace with a lovely view of the city. There, we host integrated activities and meetings among co-workers who are also friends.

The Mag: How has the culture of your city influenced or inspired your team?

Bogotá: In general, Bogotá is a great example of the “better together” philosophy as it connects many different cultures. And of course this diversity is reflected in our team as well. We also love to take advantage of all the culture the city has to offer. We’re often at Bogotá Beer Company 5ta Camacho, a local pub that produces its own beer, each one inspired by different neighborhoods in the capital. (You definitely must try the BBC Monserrate Roja!)